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Army begins probe of Bergdahl's 2009 disappearance

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army said Monday it has begun investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the disappearance and capture of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan. It put a two-star general with Afghan combat experience in charge.

"These types of investigations are not uncommon and serve to establish the facts on the ground following an incident," the Army said in a written statement.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl is heading the investigation. He is deputy commanding general of 1st Corps at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state. He served as deputy commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division in southern Afghanistan in 2010-12, and returned in 2012 as a deputy commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, according to his Army biography.

Bergdahl disappeared from his post in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. Some former members of his unit have said that he left of his own accord, but Bergdahl has not commented publicly on the circumstances of his disappearance and the Army has made no charges against him.

In its statement Monday, the Army said investigators will not interview Bergdahl until those who are currently helping Bergdahl recover from his five years of captivity say it is all right to do so. As a result, no timeline has been set for completing the investigation.

Bergdahl was released to U.S. military control by the Taliban on May 31 and spent nearly two weeks recuperating at a U.S. military hospital in Germany before being moved to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, last week.